COLOMBO – July 24, 2024 – The Supreme Court has issued an interim order preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from performing his duties as the Inspector General of Police (IGP). This order was issued following the court’s decision to grant leave to proceed with nine petitions filed by various parties, including Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, challenging Tennakoon’s appointment.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Achala Wengappuli, and Mahinda Samayawardhena, heard the petitions today. The fundamental rights (FR) petitions had been considered previously, with the court concluding its review on July 18. The decision to take up the petitions for hearing and whether to issue an interim order was announced today.
The petitioners, including the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Prof. Savitri Gunasekara, former MP Hirunika Premachandra, and others, argued that Tennakoon’s appointment as IGP contravened fundamental rights and was not properly approved by the Constitutional Council. They emphasized that Tennakoon had neglected his duties during his tenure as Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) of the Western Province, particularly during the 2019 Easter attacks and the assault on protesters at the ‘GotaGoGama’ protest site.
The Speaker of Parliament, the members of the Constitutional Council, IGP Tennakoon, the Attorney General, and others were named as respondents. Petitioners alleged that the Speaker, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, had unconstitutionally used his decisive vote to affirm Tennakoon’s appointment when the Constitutional Council was divided.
Concerns about Tennakoon’s appointment were also raised by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volter Turk, who highlighted a Supreme Court finding implicating Tennakoon in the torture of an individual in 2010. The petitioners sought a Supreme Court ruling to invalidate Tennakoon’s appointment, arguing that the role of the police chief should be held by someone with humane qualities and a respect for human rights.
